Means or device for operating tramway and other points and the like.



PATENTED JUNE 18, 1907.

Y J. R. PEAGOGK= MBA-NS 0R DEVICE FOR OPERATING TRAMW'AY AND OTHERPOINTS AND THE LIKE.

APPLIOATION FILED 13110.18. 190's.

hi'iwesses, in I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN READ PEACOCK, OF NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND.

MEANS OR DEVICE FOR OPERATING TRAMWAY AND OTHER POINTS AND THE LIKE.

Patented June 18, 1907.

A hcati fil d December 18, 1906. Serial No. 348.399.

To (LZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN READ PEAOOCK, a subject of the King of GreatBritain and Ireland, residing at N o. 43 Radford boulevard, Nottingham,in the county of N ottingham, England, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Means or Devices for Operating Tramway and otherPoints and the Like,- and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This my invention consists of an improved appliance or device foroperating tramway and other points from the car or other vehicletraveling on the said tramway, so as to avoid the necessity of havingpointsmen at the different junctions for operating these points.

In order that my invention may be fully understood and more readilycarried out and into effect, I have appended hereunto one sheet ofdrawings, Wl16I6OI1Z- Figure l is an elevation of my improvedappliancepartly in section-as applied to a tramway. Fig. 2 is a plan ofthe same appliance showing the position of the point rail bei fore theappliance for operating same is put into operation. Fig. 3 is also aplan of the above showing the position of the point rail after beingmoved by my appliance.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout theseveral figures.

In these figures R is the main tram rail, P is the point rail to beoperated-pivoted at one end P and fitted near the other end with aconnecting rod C, which is attached to one end H of the horizontal leverH, fulcrumed near its center from the axle Acarried by bracket B whichin turn is bolted to the tram rail R or point box D inclosing theappliance, and is fitted with a loose cover E. The other end H of leverH is fitted on its upper side with one or more friction rollers It F,which move in slots formed in the cover E.

S is a spring attached to the point box D at one end, and at the otherend takes a bearing against a stirrup or other suitable attachment fixedto end H, of the lever H. This spring S holds the point rail P againstthe rail R, and also holds the friction rollers F. F in the positionshown in Fig. 2which is the normal position of the switch.

To bring this appliance into action, I suspend from suitable slides L, Lattached to the framing G of the tramcar or the likea bar J parallelwith the tramway and I fit this bar with one or more shoes K, K suitablypointed at the front ends. The bar J has two spindles M, M, each slidingin one of the slides L and fitted with a suitable spring to keep the barJ raised up clear of the rail R when out of actionas shown by the dottedlines in Fig. 1. The bar J and the shoes K, K can be lowered so that theshoes enter the groove N formed by plates 0, O for a suitable distanceon each side of the point box D or they can be raised clear of thisgroove and the road by the bell-crank lever T, fulcrumed to the framingG, and actuated by suitable means from a pedal or handle under controlof the driver or conductor of the tramcar.

The action of the whole is as follows: When the car is approaching thepoint rail P in the direction of the arrow shown on the drawings, and itis necessary for it to turn off the curved track V on to the straighttrack X, the attendant on the car depresses the shoe pedal so as tolower the shoes K, K into the roove N, in such a manner that when thefront shoe comes in contact with the friction rollers F, F, it forcesoutward the end H of the lever H, and moves inward the end H moving withconnecting rod 0 and the point rail P attached to it, and by this meansopens the point rail P so that the car may pass on to the straight trackX,-as all parts then being shown in Fig. 3. It is evident that the sameappliance can also be used for turning off a tramcar or the like from astraight track on to a curved track. After the car has passed the pointrail P, it is closed again automatically by the spring S and lever H;and the shoes K, K are raised clear of the-track by the attendant on thecar.

In some cases I may suspend the bar J and shoes K, K from the car byparallel sus pending links, or other suitable means, all under controlof the attendant.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is 1. In tramway pointsthe combination of the moving end of a point rail attached to one arm ofa two armed lever pivoted from the tram rail, and the other arm carryingone or more friction rollers, a spring attached at one end to a pointbox or to the tram rail with its other end pressing against one arm ofthe two armed lever, a grooved guide formed alongside the tram rail,with one or more shoes suspended from the tramcar frame which can belowered into the grooved guide 1 until they come in contact with thefriction rollers, all for the purposes specified and substantially asdescribed.

2. A tramway point operating appliance comprising a two armed leverpivoted from the tram rail, having one arm connected to the moving endof a point rail, a springbearing against the lever, one or more frictionrollers or studs on the other arm which can be moved horizontally by oneor more shoes suspended from a passing tramcar when lowered into agrooved guide formed alongside the tram rail, all for the purposesspeciiied and substantially as shown and described hereinbefore.

In testimony whereof I have afliXed my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN READ PEACOCK. Witnesses:

H. WALKER HILL, FRANK A. DADY.

